Accountability Creates Success

How is that most all of us live our lives where we are connected to thousands of people through technology and day to day living, yet live our lives with little to no accountability with those people. I would go so far to say that many, if not most people make the effort to not be accountable and hide their actions and details of their lives from others. Why? Because people want to be in their comfort zone, their own boss, their own God. People generally want to be free from any accountability of what they have or have not done each day. Accountability is not to be confused with sharing too much information with people, we have Facebook for that. Joking aside, I’m talking real world, relationship, person to person(s) accountability.

Accountability In Generic Terms

First let’s take a look at what Merriam Webster’s definition of accountability is.

“The quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions”.

Key words and phrases that stick out to me from this definition are:

• State of Being
• Obligation
• Willingness
• Responsibility
• One’s Actions

Accountability Partners

Trying to go through life alone is not healthy, and not how humans were designed. Sure, at times everyone needs their space and to be left alone. However, I believe at the core of each of us, we are communal creatures. So, doesn’t it make sense to have a least one accountability partner? Most likely it’s smart to have more than one, possibly one for each area of your life that you know you need accountability for or help with. A financial planner likely wouldn’t be much help with marriage counseling, for example.

An accountability partner forces you to have to answer to someone, in the flesh, other than the mirror. This inherently should make us think about the consequences of our actions much more, knowing that are actions have to be confessed to another living soul. Feelings of shame, anxiety, and embarrassment in doing so are great motivation to stay on the straight and narrow. Likewise, the opposite is true. The feelings of a job well done, and the pride of being able to say you are continuing progress toward your goal, or even achieved your goal, is extremely motivating. It’s a great thing to be able to share that joy and those moments with your accountability partner.

Simply put, an accountability partner will dramatically increase your likelihood of success to achieve your goals. Don’t believe me? A study performed by the American Society of Training and Development revealed that people’s chances for success were increased up to an impressive 95% when they were committed with an ongoing accountability partner. It works.

Accountability Toward God

If you’re like me and believe in God, then you know what it means to be accountable for your actions, thoughts, and life in general. We often fail to be accountable to God and place Him and His Word where they properly belong in our lives, the top. Numero uno, the first priority. Thank God He is patient with us, and paid for our sins through Jesus.

So, what does it look like to be accountable toward our creator? It means daily submitting your will, motives, mind, body, soul, spirit, all that your are and all that you have to Him. Most people don’t want to do this, I will go out on a limb and say that most everyone struggles with it. They want “control” of their lives. That is why we have to make the choice to submit to His will, and be accountable to it. He wants what is best for you, though you may not understand it. Why not do it His way? You can’t control the future, others’ actions, the weather, basically anything but your own actions anyway.

Examples of being accountable to God could be spending time praying with Him, reading His word, serving and loving others, taking care of yourself, anything that you feel convicted to do, or not do.

It is different for each of us. Only you know the areas of your life where God is calling and convicting you. However, you might have a tight grip on it, not repenting, or possibly ignoring that conviction and area of your life. We have all done it. All of us have something in our lives, about our character that we occasionally struggle with. It’s a life long battle. A battle we don’t have to fight alone. It’s a battle that we need and have the Holy Spirit’s help with.

God is the most important partner in our lives because everything in our lives is His already, and we need to be accountable to Him for it. This pleases God, and will straighten out our lives, I promise you that. Don’t take my word for it, God Himself promises that many times throughout His word, the Bible. Proverbs 3:5-6 is a perfect example.

What are some areas or goals you have where an accountability partner could benefit you? Feel free to share your comments below!